Recoil-pad for firearms



W. L. MARBLE. RECOIL PAD FOR FIREARMS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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WEBSTER L. MARBLE, .OF GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN.

RECOIL-PAD FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

Application filed Nov-ember 4, 1919. Serial No. 335.590.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, WEBSTER L. MARBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gladstone, in the county of Delta and State 5 of Michi an,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Recoil-Pads forFirearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for itsfobjects, first, the provision of a rubbercushion or recoil pad for firearms which is of improved constructionwhereby, while readily responding to the recoil and serving as a checkor shock absorber, it will have such stability that its walls will notflatten or collapse too suddenly at the instant of recoil; second, toprovide a novel recoil pad comprising a rubber cushion or shock absorberand a pair of metal clenching plates, the whole being a self-containeddevice adapted for attachment as such to-the stock of the fire arm, orfor removal therefrom, without necessitating the use of cement or theemployment of two or more kinds of rubber cemented together; third,

to provide a novel rubber recoil pad of such form that it will have.extreme resiliency, without requiring the use of springs, so that itwill adequately take up the recoil when the fire arm is discharged andyet-will not flatten or collapsc toosuddenly atthe instant of recoil,combined with a pair of improved metal clenching plates serving as abase by which the sad maybe readily attached as a unitarystructure-tothe'stock' of a fire arm,

" or removed therefrom, either by the direct fastening of the device by:screws, or, by detachable connecting means'such as I have provided, forinstance, in my application Serial No. 287,736,'fil'ed April 5, 1919.

40 In my invention, instead of using cement to attach the pad to the gunstock, or molding metal attaching frame in the rubber forming thecushion, or forming the pad with a ca'p'to fit over the stock, oremploying 4 inflatable sacks or chambers, a'pair of plates is applied tothe rubber cushion in an improved manner soas to form a unitarystructure therewith which is self-contained and attachable as such tothe stock .of the fire ,arm, either by directly screwing the plate tothe stock, or,providing special attaching means for that purpose asproposed, for instance, in my application Serial No. 287,736. The rubberpad is formed for the applica- Thc rubvplate ber pad is of novel form,provided with ribs or bars whose edges are normallyispaced from theattaching plates, thereby obtaining the novel effect of stability,without the pos sibility of flattening or collapsing suddenly at theinstant of recoil and giving the pad both pneumatic and cushionfeatures, while permitting it to be constructed of a minimum amount ofmaterial having ample strength and durability. The spacing of the edgesof the ribs from the plates permits the cushioning movement orcompression to occur, with ready yielding of the ribs, and

yet the extent of compression is limited so that the pad will notsuddenlylcollapse.

The clenching plates are formed and correlated in an improved manner,affording a rigid and stiff base for the pad and an adequate clenchingaction on the latter.

'The invention is susceptible of modification and the disclosure thereofis robe considered as illustrative, instead of restrictive, of the scopethereof,

In the accompanying drawings,

-Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a fire arm stock towhich my recoil pad is applied by attaching means such as set forth inmy application Serial No. 287,736;

Fig. 2, a detail face View of a butt plate such as disclosed in myaforesaid application and which may be used forthe attachment of therecoil pad;

Fig. 3, a detail face view of the pad shown in Fig. 1, showing the formof the outermost Fig. 4, a section on line 4ii of Fig. 1:, showing theinner clenching plates; Fig. 5, a detail face View of the rubber recoilpad before the clenching plates are applied thereto; 7

Figs. 6 and 7, detail face views of the clenching plates before they areapplied to the rubber pad of Fig. 5;

F1 8' a vertical section showin another I, a A 7 L r: Iorm oi theinvention wherein the recoil pad is adapted to be directly screwed tothe fire arm stock without requiring the use of spe- 'cial attachingmeans, such asshown in :Fig. 1;-

Fig. 9, a detailface view lofthe recoil pad of Fig. 8, the clenchingplates being in position' FigflO, a section on line 10l0 (if- Fig. 8;and

.F'gs. 11 and 12, detail face views of the;

clenching plates of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8, 9 and10, before said plates have been clenched.

A portion of the stock of a fire arm is shown at 1. My present inventioncan be embodied in a'form adapted for attachment in a special manner, asshown in 1, for instance, by the useo f means such as set forth in myapplication Serial No. 287,736, thereby permitting quick and easysubstitution ofa recoil pad of a given thickness for a pad of any otherthickness, or, the pad may be directly screwed to the stock 1 as shownin Fig. 8.. 1V hichever manner of attachment is employed, the principleof the invention remains the same.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 3, the special means for attachment ofthe pad comprises a butt plate 2 having a dove-tailed rib 3 and securedto the stock 1 by screws a. A spring 5 secured to the plate 2 at thepoint 6 is adapted to lock the recoil pad after it has been engaged withthe rib 3. I

The attaching device just described is shown in my application SerialNo. 287,7 36.

My present invention comprises three parts, a recoil pad 7 and inner andouter clenching plates 8 and 9. The plate 8 is provided with slots 10anl an elliptical flange 11 offset from the face of the plate. The plate9 has a longitudinally extending dove-tailed channel 12 terminating in aflange or stop 13, and lateral flanges or beads 1 1 which are turneddown at 15. The plate 9 is provided with struck up tongues 16 which areoriginally in the form shown in Fig. 6 and are passed through the slots10 and clenched down as shown at 17 to clamp the plates 8 and 9 togetherin engagement with the recoil pad 7 as shown in Figs 1 to 1. Anothertongue 18 which is bent at right angles and extends through the centerslot 10, serves as an abutment for the locking spring 5. The spring 5 isadapted to snap into the slot 10 when the pad is in position. To attachthe recoil pad, in the before mentioned form of the invention, thechannel 12 is made to receive the end of the rib 3 and the pad is thenslid into position with the shoulder 3 abutting the flange or stop 13,

whereupon the spring 5 snaps into the'center slot 10.

This particular fastening means for a pad for a fire arm stock, I do notclaim herein as the present invention is not limited to this manner ofattaching the clenching plates 8 and 9. and the pad 7, to the stock 1.

Referring to Fig. 5, the recoil pad 7 is of soft rubber, of a generaloutline adapting it to serve the purpose for which it is intended. Saidpad is hollow and open at its inner face as shown at 19, said openingbeing flanked by grooves 20 which receive the turned down portion 15 ofthe flange 14:. The pad is also cut away at 21 to receive the endportion of the plate 9 and it is cut away at 22 to receive the oppositeend of said plate below the stop 13. The plate 9 is provided with struckup clenching prongs 23 which penetrate the web at the cut out portion22. These prongs may bear against the elliptical flange or bead 11 orstop short of it. i

r The hollow pad '7 is provided with a plurality of relatively thinparallel partitions, ribs or bars 2 1 whose free edges 25 are spacedfrom the plate 8, thus permitting the clenching plates to move a givendistance before the plate 8 comes in engagement with said partitions orribs. hen the fire arm is discharged the recoil causes the aforesaidrelative movement, which absorbs the shock and when the partitions orribs engage the plate 8, cushioning boxes are provided between thepartsso that the effect is a combined cushion and pneumatic action. Thespace between the edges of the partitions and the plate 8 permitsinstant response at the time of discharge, the cushioning effect beingthereafter more gradually exerted when the contact is effected. Anopening 26 extending through the pad 7 is in line. with the spring 5 sothat by the insertion of a nail, pencil, or other suitable device, thespring 5 may be depressed to permit the pad to be removed.

It will be observed that the plates 8 and 9 have their clenching flangesor parts 11 and 14: disposed on opposite sides of the flange or part 27of the pad 7, leaving the major portion of the pad 7 free to flex asbefore described. 7

Referring to the, form shown in Figs. 8 to 12, the form of the innerclenching plate 8 is the same as previously described, but there arethree, instead of two, tongues 16 to clamp the plates 8 and 9 together;also the plates have openings 28 and 29 for the reception of screws 30which are intended to pass into the stock 1 in, the screw holes occupiedby the screws which hold the ordinary butt plate, the latter havingfirst been removed. The special fastening means previously described foruse in attaching the recoil pad to the stock, is not used in this formof the invention. Consequently, it is unnecessary to form they outerclenching plate 9 with a channel and stops. The outer plate 9 is ofsubstantially the same appearance as the inner plate 8. The pad 7 isprovided with openings 81 which are in line with the openings 28 and 29.

The action of the pad in the construction shown in Figs. 8 to 12 is thesame as previously described.

It will be observed that my improved pad comprises a soft rubber cushionand a pair of clenching plates which afford a base for securing it tothe'stock and that the use of cement is entirely eliminated;furthermore,

it is unnecessary to provide any special means for connecting the recoilpad to the stock although such special means may be used if desired, asshown in the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1 to 7 What Iclaim is: V

1. A unitary recoil pad for firearms comprising a hollow, flexible padproper having an open face, and a pair of plates secured together andcovering said open face, said plates having their marginalportionspermanently clenched to said pad and being positioned and adapted forconnecting the pad to the firearm butt.

2. A recoil pad for firearms comprising a pad proper which has an openface and a flange or bead arranged around said open face, and a pair ofconnected attaching plates covering said open face and having marginalportions which are clenched against opposing sides of said flange orbead, said plates being positioned and adapted for connecting the pad tothe firearm butt.

3. A unitary recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow elastic padproper which has internal ribs, bars or partitions said pad and its ribsbeing free to flex and an attaching plate secured to the pad proper,said plate being positioned and adapted for connecting the pad to thefirearm butt.

4:. A recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow pad proper which hasfreely projecting internal ribs, bars or partitions, and an attachingplate secured to the pad proper, said ribs, bars or partitions havingfree outer edges disconnected from said plate and adapted to bear onsaid plate.

5. A recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow pad proper which hasinternal ribs, bars or partitions, and an attaching plate secured to thepad proper, said ribs, bars or partitions having their free edgesnormally separated, or spaced from the attaching plate and adapted tobear against the said plate.

6.'A unitary recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow elastic padproper provided with freely projecting flexible members in its interior,said pad and flexible members being free to flex, and an attaching platesecured to said pad which is positioned and adapted for connecting thepad to the firearm butt. V

7 A unitary recoil pad for fire arms com prising a hollow elastic padproper provided with spaced parallel freely projecting flexible ribs,bars or partitions in its interior, said pad and flexible partitionsbeing free to flex, and an attaching plate secured to said pad which ispositioned and adapted for connecting the pad to the firearm butt.

8. A recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow elastic pad properprovided-with spaced parallel freely projecting flexible ribs, bars orpartitions in its interior, and

an attaching plate secured to the pad proper and covering the said ribs,bars or partitions, said plate being positioned and adapted forconnecting the pad to the firearm butt.

9. A unitary recoil pad for fire arms comprising a hollow elastic padproper provided with spaced parallel freely projecting "flexible ribs,bars or partitions in its interior, said pad and flexible partitionsbeing free to flex, and an attaching plate secured to the pad proper andcovering the said ribs, bars or partitions, said ribs, bars orpartitions having their edges normally spaced from said covering plateand adapted to engage therewith when the fire arm is discharged.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

7 WEBSTER L. MARBLE.

